A stolen 15th-century book by the famed Persian poet Hafez has been recovered by a Dutch art detective after an international "race against time" that drew the alleged interest of Iran's secret service.
The gold-leafed volume worth around one million euros (USD 1.1 million) was found to be missing from the collection of an Iranian antiques dealer after his death in Germany in 2007.
It sparked a decade-long search for one of the oldest surviving copies of the "Divan of Hafez" -- the collected works of the poet who remains extremely popular in Iran and has inspired artists worldwide.
But Arthur Brand, dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" for tracing a series of lost works, finally tracked down the tome via the murky stolen arts underworld.
"This is a hugely important find for me, because this is such an important book," Brand said as he showed AFP the recovered book at an Amsterdam apartment.
Along with Rumi, Hafez -- full name Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafiz Shirazi -- is one of the 

Dutch art sleuth finds rare stolen copy of 'Prince of Persian poets'

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Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Myanmar's capital Friday on a state visit aimed at buttressing the embattled government of Aung San Suu Kyi and driving through multi-billion-dollar infrastructure deals.
The wide highways and manicured lawns of Naypyidaw, purpose-built by generals under Myanmar's junta, were dotted with red banners bearing Xi's face and greetings in Burmese and Mandarin.
Xi will sign a series of mammoth infrastructure deals as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative -- a global trade plan that promises to change the face of Myanmar.
The centrepiece of the so-called China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) is a USD 1.3 billion deep-sea port at Kyaukphyu in central Rakhine state, giving Beijing a gateway to the Indian Ocean.
A high-speed rail link is on the cards to connect the port and nearby planned industrial zone with the countries' shared border.
China is an economic lifeline for Myanmar, a country where wariness lingers over the increasing influence of .

China's Xi arrives in Myanmar on billion-dollar charm offensive

Ukraine's prime minister offered his resignation on Friday after audio was leaked of him reportedly criticising President Volodomyr Zelensky's understanding of the economy.
"To remove any doubts about our respect for and trust in the president, I have written a resignation letter and handed it over to the president," Oleksiy Goncharuk wrote on his official Facebook page.

Ukrainian prime minister offers resignation

Oscar winner Christian Bale and filmmaker David O Russell might reteam for a new film, being developed at New Regency.
According to Deadline, Rusell has written the script for the untitled film and he might direct it if things go as per the plan.
Bale, who previously starred in Russel's "The Fighter" and "American Hustle", would play the lead role.
Plot details are being kept under wraps. Matthew Budman, who served as an executive producer on "American Hustle", will produce.
In 2010's "The Fighter", Bale had featured as Dicky Eklund, the brother of Mark Wahlberg's professional boxer Micky Ward.
His performance in the movie had earned him his maiden Oscar for best supporting actor at the 2011 Academy Awards.
Bale most recently starred in James Mangold's "Ford vs Ferrari", where he portrayed professional racer Ken Miles opposite Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby.
Russell's last directorial effort was 2015's "Joy", featuring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper.

Christian Bale, David O Russell in talks to team on New Regency movie

Fiji opened evacuation centres and warned of "destructive force winds" Friday as a cyclone bore down on the Pacific island nation for the second time in three weeks.
Two people were missing after attempting to swim across a swollen river late Thursday when heavy rain fell ahead of the advancing Cyclone Tino, police said.
On the outer islands, locals prepared to go to emergency shelters while many tourists fled beach resorts and made their way to the capital Suva before regional flights and inter-island ferry services were suspended.
The Fiji Meteorological Service said Tino was strengthening as it headed for Fiji's second-largest island, Vanua Levu, warning of wind gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour (80 mph), heavy rain, coastal flooding and flash flooding in low lying areas.
"I'm preparing to go to an evacuation centre soon with my family and wait for the cyclone to pass," Nischal Prasad, who lost his home in northern Vanua Legu when Cyclone Sarai struck just after Christmas, ...

Fiji opens evacuation centres as Cyclone Tino hits

Consumption of walnuts may improve the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, and are associated with improvements in some risk factors for heart disease, according to a new study which may lead to new dietary recommendations for better cardiac health.
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, said walnuts may be a heart- and gut-healthy snack.
"Substantial evidence shows that small improvements in diet greatly benefit health. Eating two to three ounces of walnuts a day as part of a healthy diet could be a good way to improve gut health and reduce the risk of heart disease," said Kristina Petersen, study co-author from the Pennsylvania State University in the US.
Earlier studies had revealed that when combined with a diet low in saturated fats, walnuts may have heart-healthy benefits.
"Replacing your usual snack -- especially if it's an unhealthy snack -- with walnuts is a small change you can make to improve your diet," Petersen explained.
According to Petersen and her team, ...

Walnuts may improve gut, heart health: Study

Prince Charles, the future king, has long been seen as a potential modernizer who wants a more modest monarchy in line with other European royal households  and the streamlining process has already begun with the astounding developments of recent months.
But the changes have come at a terrible cost for Charles, who has seen his brother Prince Andrew disgraced and his once close sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, become estranged.
The trials and tribulations of Andrew and Harry  one tainted for a close friendship with a convicted sex offender, the other unwilling to continue his high-profile role  will take both out of their royal duties, leaving a smaller, more modest royal apparatus.
Charles has been saying for years and years, 'Let's make it smaller,' said Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward.
"He feels quite strongly that with such a big House of Windsor, there are too many opportunities for things to go wrong. And it's too expensive. And they need too many houses, ...

Royal rift: UK monarchy will look smaller when dust settles

Scientists have developed a highly sensitive, wearable gas sensor which may help monitor environmental pollutants, and detect biomarkers for medical conditions.
The device, that may soon become commercially available, is an improvement on existing wearable sensors because it uses a self-heating mechanism that enhances sensitivity, the researchers said.
This allows for quick recovery and reuse, unlike other devices of this type which require an external heater, according to the study published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
"People like to use nanomaterials for sensing because their large surface-to-volume ratio makes them highly sensitive," said Huanyu Cheng, an assistant professor at the Pennsylvania State University in the US.
"The problem is the nanomaterial is not something we can easily hook up to with wires to receive the signal, necessitating the need for something called inter-digitated electrodes, which are like the digits on your hand," Cheng said in a ...

New wearable gas sensor to monitor health, environment

The southern African kingdom of Eswatini is ramping up rights for married women, enforcing the charge of rape against offending husbands -- a taboo in conservative Swati society.
This week, 34-year-old Nhlanhla Dlamini became the first man to be arrested and charged with rape for having sexual intercourse with his wife without her consent.
Relying on the 2018 Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act, which criminalises non-consensual sex between a husband and wife, police nabbed Dlamini and charged him with rape.
He was on Tuesday granted R50,000 (USD 3,400) bail by the high court in the capital Mbabane and is set to appear again in court over the next few weeks.
"It's the first one (case) to be recorded and be heard in open court," Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) spokeswoman Slindelo Nkosi told AFP.
First-time offenders are likely to be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail, while repeat rapists can get up to 30 years.
The historic arrest sent shock waves across ..

First arrest puts marital rape in spotlight in Eswatini

Actor Jon Bernthal is in negotiations for the role of Rick Macci, the coach of tennis star Venus and Serena Williams, in the upcoming movie "King Richard".
The Warner Bros movie is a biopic on Venus and Serena's father Richard Williams who guided his prodigal tennis playing daughters from the Compton courts to preeminence in the sport.
It will be directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a script by Zach Baylin.
Will Smith will portray the role of Richard Williams, while "When They See Us" star Aunjanue Ellis will play the matriarch Brandi Williams.
Actors Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton were recently cast in the roles of Venus and Serena.
The Williams sisters have remained dominating figures on the tennis court over the years and have collectively won a total of 30 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals.
Bernthal, best known for starring in films such as "The Wolf of Wall Street", "Baby Driver", "Wind River" and "The Accountant", most recently portrayed Lee Iacocca in .

Jon Bernthal in talks to join cast of 'King Richard'

The body of an Indian driver, who went missing during flash floods in the UAE, has been found in Oman after six days of searching, according to a media report.
The body of the Indian man was found in Ghamdha area in Oman on Thursday,  the Gulf News reported.
Rescue teams from Ras Al Khaimah Police, Dubai Police and Oman coordinated the rescue efforts to find the man who went missing on January 11, the report said.
Commander-in-chief of Ras Al Khaimah Police Major General Ali Abdullah Bin Alwan Al Nuaimi said the man went missing after his car was swept away by the flash floods in the Wadi Al Beah.
The body was found stuck in rocks on the shores of the Ghamdha region, the officer said.

Body of missing Indian driver found in Oman

Asian equities mostly rose Friday as investors, still buoyed by the China-US trade deal, turned their focus to earnings season and the global outlook, while they were also cheered by data indicating China's economy appears to be stabilising.
Apart from last week's blip caused by the US assassination of Iran's top general, markets have enjoyed a strong start to the new decade, building on the rally of late 2019.
The gains have been fanned by the "phase one" trade agreement as well as signs of improvement in worldwide economies, lower interest rates, government stimulus and easing Brexit concerns.
And with the prospect of a healthy batch of company reports, there are hopes for further advances.
"It's very hard to be bearish here," Linda Duessel, at Federated Investors Management, told Bloomberg TV. "We could have really good earnings surprises to the upside" as more profit reports roll in, she said.
All three main indexes on Wall Street ended at record highs Thursday, boosted by the ...

Buoyant mood, upbeat data help lift most Asia stocks

A 34-year-old Indian-origin woman who was reported missing two weeks ago has been found dead under mysterious circumstances in the trunk of her car in the US state of Illinois, according to media reports.
Sureel Dabawala was reported missing by her family on January 1 after she failed to return to her home in Schaumburg, Illinois on December 30, Schaumburg Police Department said in a statement.
She had gone to work out at a gym and was last seen driving her car. She never came home after that, her family was quoted as saying by the Chicago Tribune.
On Monday, the Chicago Police Department contacted Schaumburg Police to report that a deceased person had been recovered from the inside of the vehicle owned by missing endangered, Dabawala from Schaumburg, the statement said.
The Chicago Police Department is handling this as a death investigation, it said.
After private investigators hired by Dabawala's family located her white sedan parked in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighbourhood, ...

Indian-origin woman missing since New Year's Day found dead in trunk of her car in US

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Myanmar's capital on Friday in a show of support for the embattled government of Aung San Suu Kyi as Beijing hopes to smooth the way for multi-billion-dollar infrastructure deals.
The wide highways and manicured lawns of Naypyidaw, purpose-built by generals under Myanmar's junta, were dotted with red banners bearing Xi's face and greetings in Burmese and Mandarin ahead of the visit.
Xi is expected to ink a series of trade schemes as part of China's global Belt and Road Initiative, which could change the face of Myanmar with a deep-sea port and high-speed rail line running east to west.
But analysts also see the trip as symbolic backing for former rights icon Suu Kyi as Myanmar reels from international blowback over its treatment of Rohingya Muslims.
After a welcome ceremony and dinner on Friday, Xi will sit down with Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday.
Beijing wants to nail down the port, rail link and several building projects ..

China's Xi jets to Myanmar in billion-dollar charm offensive

Thailand detected its second case of a mysterious SARS-linked virus in a visitor from China, health officials said Friday, as authorities ramp up airport screenings ahead of an expected surge in arrivals for Chinese New Year.
The 74-year-old Chinese woman is being treated at hospital after presenting with symptoms at Thailand's biggest airport Suvarnabhumi on January 13, according to the health ministry.
She was diagnosed with pneumonia linked to the new coronavirus, which has stirred alarm after killing two in China and hospitalising dozens. It has also been detected in Japan.
"People don't have to panic as there is no spread of the virus in Thailand," the ministry said in its statement.
The woman, whose condition is improving, arrived from the central Chinese city of Wuhan -- believed to be at the epicentre of the outbreak.
It came after Thai doctors diagnosed another Chinese traveller with mild pneumonia on January 8, later confirmed to have been caused by the new virus.
The World .

Thais find second case linked to China mystery virus

Iran's supreme leader is expected to lead the main weekly Muslim prayers in Tehran on Friday, after a traumatic month in which the country had appeared on the brink of war with the United States and accidentally downed a Ukrainian passenger jet.
The last time Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led Friday prayers at Tehran's Mosalla mosque was in February 2012, on the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic revolution and at a time of crisis over the Iran nuclear issue.
His Friday appearance comes at a tumultuous moment for the country which had seemed headed for conflict earlier in January after the United States killed its top general Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad, prompting Iran to retaliate against US military targets in Iraq with a volley of missiles.
The strike, which caused significant material damage, wounded 11 US troops, according to a statement by US Central Command released Thursday, which contradicted the military's previous assessment of no casualties.
Earlier in the day ...

Khamenei to lead Friday prayers amid Iranian tumult

China's economy grew by 6.1 per cent last year, the lowest annual growth rate in 29 years, National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday, as weak domestic demand and the bruising 18-month-long trade war with the US took their toll on the world's second-largest economic giant.
The new data comes a day after China and the US signed a long-awaited phase one deal, marking a ceasefire in the 18-month-long trade war which saw the world's two largest economies slap 25 per cent tariffs on about half a trillion-dollar worth of each other's exports.
The world's second-largest economy grew by 6.1 per cent last year, its worst performance since 1990, but it remained above the psychologically important mark of six per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The GDP growth remained well within the 6 to 6.5 target set by the government, it said.
However, significant from the Chinese government perspective, the GDP expanded to USD 14.38 trillion from last year's USD 13.1 ...

China's economy slumps to 6.1 per cent in 2019; lowest in 29 years: NBS data

Researchers have developed a new laboratory test to detect the novel Chinese coronavirus, which has so far claimed two lives and infected more than 40 people.
According to the scientists, including those from the German Center for Infection Research, the virus which first emerged in the province of Wuhan in China, is similar to the common cold virus, and can cause severe pneumonia.
The new assay protocol, published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a guideline for diagnostic detection, enables suspected cases to be tested quickly, they said.
An international consortium is currently conducting a joint evaluation study of the test protocol, which the researchers believe may serve as a guideline for laboratories.
"Now that this diagnostic test is widely available, I expect that it won't be long before we are able to reliably diagnose suspected cases. This will also help scientists understand whether the virus is capable of spreading from human to human," said Christian Drosten, ..

'Novel lab test to detect Chinese coronavirus'

China's economy slumps to 6.1 per cent in 2019; lowest 29 years: NBS data

India's top-ranked player Prajnesh Gunneswaran failed to make the main draw of the Australian Open men's singles event after going down in straight sets to Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in the final round of the qualifiers here on Friday.
Prajnesh, ranked 122nd in the world and seeded 17th in the qualifiers, lost 6-7 (2) 2-6 to Gulbis in his final round qualifying match.
Prajnesh had earlier defeated local wildcard Harry Bourchier and Germany's Yannick Hanfmann.
It was a close first set which went into tie-break, where Prajnesh faltered to hand early advantage to his opponent.
In the second set, Gulbis broke Prajnesh in the first and third games to race to a 3-0 lead.
From there on, the Indian found it tough as Gulbis held his serve to close out the contest that lasted for one hour and 20 minutes.
With Prajnesh's ouster, India's campaign in the singles ended in the qualifiers.
Earlier, Sumit Nagal suffered a straight-set loss to Mohamed Safwat of Egypt to crash out in the first round of ...

Prajnesh out of Australian Open qualifiers after loss in finals

Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett will serve as the jury head of the 2020 Venice International Film Festival.
In a statement, the festival organisers said the decision was made on January 10 by the Board of Directors chaired by Paolo Baratta.
The 50-year-old actor's name for jury president was recommended by festival director Alberto Barbera.
Blanchett, who previously served as head of Cannes Film Festival jury in 2018, said to lead the Venice jury is a "privilege" and "pleasure".
"Every year I look expectantly to the selection at Venice and every year it is surprising and distinct. Venice is one of the most atmospheric film festivals in the world  a celebration of the provocative and inspirational medium that is cinema in all its forms," she said.
Barbera hailed Blanchett as an "icon of contemporary cinema" and said every filmmaker wants to work with her.
"Her commitment in the artistic and humanitarian fields and to the protection of the environment, as well as her defence of the 

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